Tuesday, October 14, 2014

Addicted to Writing Presents Tell Tale Tuesday: Blood Oath by Maggie Mundy



Title: Blood Oath
         Book Two in the Seeker Chronicles
Author: Maggie Mundy
Email: maggiemundy@bigpond.com

Genre: Paranormal Romance
Excerpt Heat Level: 1
Book Heat Level: 4

Buy at: www.roguephoenixpress.com

Book Two in The Seeker Chronicles. Blood Oath is a sequel to Blood Scent. We discover more about the Rogue, Seeker world in Australia. This is the story of Cassie and Matt, based in Tasmania. Matt kills a rogue vampire who wanted Cassie. This sets up a course of events where the rogue’s twin has sworn in a blood oath to avenge his brother’s death. Throw in a bunch of vampire hunters as well and you have trouble. Things become even more complicated when Cassie’s sister is kidnapped as bait. The only option may be that Cassie will have to give up her own life to save them all.

EXCERPT

The dark haired vampire came at her attacker and had him in the same position he had been himself a moment ago. "You'll not do that to any female under my protection, Rogue."
What the heck did he mean by that? She didn't know these guys, let alone know she was under someone's protection.
The blonde vampire sneered, "Kill me if you dare, but your problems will only just start at that moment. Look at my hand. I've a scar that won't heal. It's from a blood oath. My twin has drunk from me. He'll come and kill you and make her death slow and painful. He doesn't want a mate, he just likes to kill. She'd be better off with me, so why don't you go and leave us alone?"
Cassie wasn't going to stay around and listen to any more talk of people or vampires killing her, or trading her for the less nasty one. She grabbed her bag and tried to stand, but her leg gave out as the pain shot up into her hip, causing her to almost black out. Using the wall to support her, she hobbled pass the vampires as the one underneath brought up his talon into the chest of the dark haired one. She kept shaking her head as if that action would make this whole experience disappear. It didn't work.
The dark haired one on top brought his hand down so quickly she didn't see his arm move, but he had sliced across the other one's throat. There was a tiny trickle of blood along the incision and then a drip flowed from the corner of the blonde vampire's mouth. His eyes opened wide in realization, he was dead if vampires could die. Then his head rolled to the side, perfectly separated from the body as if a guillotine had done the work. At that point, the only thing holding her upright was the wall behind her. Cassie didn't want to see any of this anymore. She shuffled along till she got through the front door and out of the shack.
Cassie made it as far as the bottom of the porch steps before she turned and threw up on the nearest bush. The smell of the regurgitated wine and the sight she had just seen were too much, even for a hardened theatre nurse. They might be vampires, but this was someone being killed before her eyes. She grabbed the railing on the steps to steady herself. Her head cleared as she breathed in the cold night air. Then the pain in her leg hit again as if it was on fire. She stumbled to her car. Her hands shook as she tried to put the keys in the door. She stopped before she opened the car and leaned forward, resting her forehead against the car roof. The dark haired vampire had saved her life, and the other one said there was another bad guy coming after her. If that was true, the only person who had a chance of stopping him was lying on the floor bleeding to death in Nan's shack. He wasn't a person, she told herself; he was a fucking vampire. This was insane, but she knew she was going back.
Each step sent fresh pain shooting up her leg as she hobbled back into the shack. Her hand went to her mouth to stop any more vomit as she saw the decapitated vampire with his grimacing face and fangs. The dark haired one had dragged himself over and was leaning against the wall. She limped to the kitchen and grabbed a t towel. She hesitated for an moment then made her way across and pressed it against his chest. The front of his shirt was soaked in blood, and his neck had a gash from his ear to his collarbone. She was used to blood working in the operating room, but what the hell could she do here? She grabbed her scarf from her bag and held it against his neck, but the blood soaked through and covered her hands. There was no phone coverage out here and by the time she would have gotten to the nearest town, he would be dead. It seemed a strange thing for a vampire to die of blood loss, but she was watching it happen as he became paler in front of her. She reached for his wrist and felt his pulse. He had a beating heart, so he definitely wasn't the undead. He opened his eyes and took her hand in his. His touch was so cold and his fingers almost blue. She should be pulling away, but something stopped her. He gazed at her with beautiful green eyes and smiled. A smile that showed no trace of the fangs she had seen earlier.
"You should leave. He's gone now. Go and get help for yourself," he pleaded with her. His voice raspy as if every word was a struggle.
She looked to the door and then back at the injured man before her. As she pressed against his wounds and his blood continued to soak through, she knew what she needed to do.
"Are you dying?" She didn't know if this guy was the same as any other human. He nodded in reply.
Every part of her knew this was ridiculous, but as far as she was concerned, it was her only course of action. He had saved her and she had the ability to do the same for him. Rolling up her sleeve, she took a deep breath and swallowed as she showed him her forearm.
"Why are you doing this?" He went to lift his hand and touch her cheek, but stopped.
"From what your friend here said, he has a brother who wants me dead. You look like you could save me. If I give you blood, will it heal you?" She wasn't sure she wanted to know the answer.
He nodded again. That settled it.
"Take it before I change my mind." She kept telling herself it was just like donating blood and he wouldn't kill her if he had just saved her.
The thought changed to panic as her stomach turned over. His hands took hold of her arm and moved it closer to his face. She glanced away, but was drawn back to see what was really happening. Was she really offering a vampire her blood? His lips drew back and there was a popping sound as his incisors lengthened. Her whole body stiffened, but, fascinated, she didn't draw away. His lips were cool against her skin as she waited. He moved his lips gently back and forth across her forearm in an almost sensuous way that made her breath catch. There was a slight sting, but nothing worse than when someone took blood with a needle. Closing her eyes, her mind drifted as the room faded from existence for her.


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